Fireplace



Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES" GEORGE I). ALFORD, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFQRNIA.

FIREPLACE.

Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,851.

It is one object ofthe present invention to walls and the walls of the brick chamber to provide a construction wherein air is passed over the sides and back of the fire box to secure a preliminary heating thereof and then over the throat of the fireplace to absorb more heat before being discharged into the room.

It is another object of the invention to provide a construction wherein the damper is so constructed and arranged relative to the throat in which it is mounted as to cooperate therewith in controlling the draft from the fireplace and to so control and d1- rect the products of combustion as to extract the greatest amount of heat therefrom for useful purposes before discharging the said products of combustion into the chimney flue. Y

It is particularly an object of the inven tion to provide a damper housing' and damper construction that will be economical in construction, easily assembled and disassembled, and highly eiicient in its practical application.

In the drawing Figure l is a vertical transverse .section through a fireplace embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the .damper housing.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing, I show at 1 the brickwork of a chimney provided with a flue at`2 and a mantel at 3. v

A metal fire box is shown at 4, and an air inlet is shown at 5 communicating with a chamber 6 between the metal re box and the brickwork. The chamber 6 communicates with the distributing chamberr 7 formed in the brickwork above the throat 8 by means of passages 9 on both ksides of the lire box. The distributing chamber 7 discharges air into the room through openings 10 formed in the mantel 3. y

Inserted in the throat 8 and seated upon the upper edges of the side portions of the iire box is a cast iron throat piece 11. This throat piece is shown clearly in Figure l, and comprises a curved part 12 extending from the upper front edge of the fire place opening upwardly and baclrwardly in such a manner as to direct all smoke and gases from the fire box into the iiue 2. The end portions 13 are formed as shown .so that ample room is provided between these vend permit a free flow of the heated air therebetween and thence into the distributing chamber. Since the width of the upper portion of the throat is less than the width of the lower portion the movement of the air is accelerated and a good draft secured.

On the inner surface of each end wall 13 is formed a substantially semicircular rib 16 having itsy open portion 17 directed upwardly as shown. At 18 is shown an oblong plate havingv circular end plates cast integrally thereon and lying at right angles thereto and adapted to seat in said semicircular ribs as shown, the damper plate 18 having a portion of each end projecting transversely to and beyond the periphery of the adjacent disc plate. A handle 19 is mounted on the plate 18 in such a manner as to extendv downwardly and rearwardly as shown and to balance the plate 18. The form and weight of the'handle is an important feature of this invention. It is so constructed that the handle curves in the direction of the angle of the plate 18 when the 4damper is open and is so proportioned that it operates as a connterbalance to the Asaid plate, eifectually maintaining it in any positionin which it may be placed.

The damper 18 is preferably cast in oneV piece and may be readily removed from or placed in the throat without the manipulation of any moving parts by raising one end from its seat 16 and thenl dropping the other end below the throat opening.

Vhile the handle 19 is so formed and constructed as to lower the center of mass of the damper to a point where the desired balancingv is secured, the friction between the ribs 16 and the .disc shaped end plates 20 helps to offset any imperfection in the balancing due to faulty casting or any other cause.

The damper 18 formed as described lies in the metal throat piece and swingsabout its axis to control the .size of the opening therethrough. As the crosssectional area of the throat is lessened the damper directs the heated gases against the curved part 12 and thereby heats it so that the air passing through the chamber 7 is again heated before it is discharged into the room. By means of this construction the air is subjected to the heating action ofthe burning fuel frompthe time it enters chamber 6 until it leaves chamber 7.

'a throat piece comprising a curved upper Welland two end Walls7 the twov end Walls having opposed semi-circular ribs formed thereon, and a damper plate having dise shaped plates formed on its ends and adapted to seat in said sockets, the said damper having a portion of each end projecting transversely to and beyond the periphery of the adjacent disc plate, and a handle mounted on said damper plate l and extending dom'nvardly and angularly relative thereto to substantially couuterbalance the same.

GEORG-E D. ALFGRD. 

